Pro-Line 26 Super Sport (2011-)

Brief Summary

If you want to go fishing offshore, but don't want to go broke, Pro-Line has a boat for you: Their 26' 4" (8.03 m) LOA 26 Super Sport combines a roomy, easy-to-trailer fishing platform with power options up to 450-hp, plenty of fish-worthy standard equipment and lots of extras to let you build just the boat you want. With 22 degrees of deadrise, she'll be comfortable running in a chop; at 7,040 lbs (3,193 kg) trailer weight, she'll also be comfortable behind your full-sized pickup or SUV. With twin 150-hp Suzuki four-stroke OBs, her MSRP is $87,346, putting her squarely within range of lots of dedicated fishermen without trust funds. What else does the 26 Super Sport have to offer?

Specifications

Length Overall

26' 4'' /

Beam

8' 6''

Dry Weight

4,400 lbs.

Draft

18''

Deadrise/Transom

22 deg.

Max Headroom

open

Bridge Clearance

9' 2'' with top

Fuel Capacity

156 gal.

Water Capacity

15 gal.

Price

Engine Options

Tested Engine

Currently no test numbers

Std. Power

Not Available

Opt. Power

Not Available

Captain's Report

The T-top and riggers are options; the top also has an overhead electronics/stowage box. Pro-Line offers several graphics packages in black and deep blue; the standard hull color is white with a flare or waterline stripe. The stainless bow rail is standard, too,

How Do They Know?

Typically, a boat like the Pro-Line 26 Super Sport comes with everything necessary for piscatorial pursuits, except rods and bait. How do builders like Pro-Line know what their customers want? We think it's generally because all fishermen want basically the same things -- bait wells, fishboxes and rod holders, and a way to get to the fish – and specifically because Pro-Line has been building serious fishboats since 1968, when Dan Atwood and his father, Ray, sold their first Pro-Line, a 24-footer, to Florida fishing guide Capt. Sam Pecorino. (In 1997, Pro-Line traded a new boat for Capt. Pecorino's dual-console; it's now in the company museum.)

We love blank fiberglass at the helm – it says "electronics." There's room for a big multifunction display and a couple of smaller units, too, or go crazy with two medium-sized MFDs – maybe dedicate one to navigation, one to fishfinding. The magnetic compass is in line with the wheel, just where it should be.

One thing fishermen don't want is maintenance problems, so Pro-Line builds the 26 SS to be as trouble-free as possible. She's built with F.I.S.T. – Fiberglass Integrated Structural Technology, which replaces the wood components of traditional fiberglass boats, e.g., stringer and transom cores, with fiberglass and high-density foam. (Many companies today build wood-free, but Pro-Line has been doing it since 1994.) Pro-Line says F.I.S.T. creates a lighter boat, which in turn requires less power to achieve her desired speed; less power means less fuel burn, and lower operating costs. And, although some builders contest the bad rap others put on structural wood, there's no disputing that foam doesn't rot or soak up water and get soft.

Look at the wide walkarounds – even chunky BoatTEST.com guys could freely pass fore and aft. The integrated baitwell on the transom is lighted, and shares plumbing with a raw-water washdown. Two insulated fishboxes in the cockpit sole have macerators to pump out the gunk. Opting for a single OB makes room on the platform for a dive ladder.

What's in the Box?

Pro-Line loads the 26 Super Sport with plenty of standard equipment: two bilge pumps; a bow pulpit with anchor roller; a Porta-Potti in the console (dockside pumpout is optional); seven stainless steel cleats, most of them flush-mount; and a cockpit shower (it's cold-water only). There are under-gunwale racks for eight rods, two rod holders in each gunwale and three more in the leaning post, which also comes with a permanent backrest – many builders offer a backrest that slides into the rod holders, rendering them useless. A cooler fits under the leaning-post legs. There's more seating ahead of the console and on a folding bench seat aft and plenty of stowage in the console and under the casting deck.

Pro-Line offers a number of helm-seat configurations. The standard is a leaning post, backrest and cooler; options add a baitwell or tackle station, or replace the leaning post with a bench. In each case, the frame is welded aluminum.

Options?

The 26 SS options list includes mostly comfort and convenience items, other than the T-top, which many fishermen will want, and electronics. Pro-Line installs Garmin fishfinders and navigators, and Icom VHFs. Both are good brands, but many fishermen have their favorites and will custom-built their electronics packages after taking delivery. We would add the optional battery switch for dual batteries, maybe cockpit lights and an anchor windlass. Otherwise the standard boat has what we need.

Eight rigs will fit in under-gunwale rod racks,. The cockpit bolster is optional, but the folding bench seat aft is standard.

Power

On their options list, Pro-Line offers single and twin outboards from Evinrude, Mercury and Suzuki – don't ask us why all the pictures they provide of the 26 SS show her with Hondas on the transom. We suspect the company will install the engines you want. In any case, a single 250-hp, the least power we'd recommend, will push the boat into the low-40-mph range, according to Pro-Line, while max power, twin 225s, will rocket her to nearly 60 (96.5 kph). We'd take the middle ground, with a single 300-hp engine which would leave more room on the platform. Modern outboards are reliable, so we'd be confident going offshore with a single, and a SeaTow membership.

This is how we want our Pro-Line, with a T-top, cockpit bolsters and few other options; we could do without the riggers on the top. It would make a nice fishing package.

Recommendation

Pro-Line doesn't have the snob appeal of super-high-end fishboats, but the 26 Super Sport will take you anywhere any boat of its size, from any builder, will. You won't have to spend a fortune above MSRP on options, the boats are well-built, reliable and easy to maintain. Serious fishermen have been buying and enjoying Pro-Lines for 42+ years, and with good reason. We think if you're hankering for a new fishing boat, you should check out the Pro-Line 26 Super Sport. We know we would.